1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for holding containers during transportation. More specifically, it relates to an portable apparatus for holding a variety of differently shaped and sized pots and vases utilized for plants and flowers especially during transportation thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The problems associated with the transportation of plants and flowers are well known to florist shop owners and employees and others who must frequently transport such cargo. One goal in this field is to minimize the time required to load and unload containers of plants or flowers from a delivery van or truck. However, because of the fragile and delicate nature of the cargo, care must be taken to adequately support and protect the expensive plants and flowers during transportation. Another goal is to provide a holder which is lightweight, portable, inexpensive, and which allows for a maximum utilization of floor space in the truck or van. A variety of different types of devices have been proposed for the holding and transporting of plant and flower pots and vases but, to date, there has been no acceptable solution to the problems. U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,595, for example, discloses a wheeled device for transporting plants in their pots. It has upright members for supporting the plant pot on the base which hold the plant by the tension of the upright members against the pot. The provision of wheels makes this device unsuitable for use in securing pots in a stationary position during transportation.
U.S. Pat. 3,013,758 discloses a wire basket on widely spread wire legs. The wire basket is firmly affixed to the legs and has an upper hoop forming the opening into which the plant is placed. Only a specific sized pot can fit into the pre-formed ring. Use of the device with a pot too small will allow movement within the device. A pot too large would have a center of gravity too high above the ring, and could easily spill or break.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,803,418 discloses a device which utilizes a number of specially designed hooks which attach to the upper lip of the flowerpot and are connected to each other and to a base by bendable wire. The use of separate hooks allows the use of the invention on a number of different sized pots. However, the requirement that the wire be permanently affixed to a base destroys portability. Although the device accommodates a variety of pot shapes and sizes, each pot must be custom-installed. Such a device would not be useful in delivery and truck transport of plants, since it would be extremely time consuming to wire up all of the plants for delivery each time the van or truck was loaded.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,550 discloses a molded plastic base for supporting a flower pot. It is specifically designed for displaying the flowers at an angle and provides little or no support for transportation. Further, like U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,758, it is adapted for a specific size of pot.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,381,939 discloses a flower pot constructed of wood members or staves held together by a wire or metal hoop. Like many other devices which have been proposed, it is adapted primarily for one size pot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,012 discloses a decorative holder not specifically designed for plants. In one embodiment, it has a base on legs formed from decoratively bent metal. The base as shown is not designed to support the object against any movement, but merely to provide a decorative stand or base.
There remains, therefore, a need for a portable, inexpensive device which can hold a variety of differently shaped pot and vases during transportation.
There further remains a need for such a device which protects delicate plants and flowers from vibration during transport form location to location in a truck or van.
Still further, there remains a need for such a device which provides lateral support against tipping in a manner which allows for utilization of substantially the entire floor area of a truck or van.